|
89 High Street
Tonbridge
Above photo pre 1887. |
Above photo, pre 1887. |
Above postcard says:- Old Tonbridge - Showing the old pub prior to
demolition during the widening of the Old Bridge. Pre 1887. |
Above photo circa 1880s.
Kindly supplied by
http://www.tonbridgehistory.org.uk/ |
Above photo, 1895. |
Above postcard, 1905. |
Above postcard, date unknown. |
Above photo, date unknown. |
Above photo, 2 July, 1967.
Kindly supplied by
http://www.tonbridgehistory.org.uk/ |
Above photo, 2 July, 1967.
Kindly supplied by
http://www.tonbridgehistory.org.uk/ |
Above photo, date unknown by Wendy Lawrence. |
 
Above sign left, 1960s, sign right, 1984, kindly sent by Brian Curtis. |
The current building (2016) was built in 1887 after the original one was
demolished the same year with the building of the new Great Bridge along
with the Wise Tunbridge ware manufactures buildings directly opposite side
of the river. The "Castle Inn" then became the "Castle hotel" the Wise
manufacture then became the Masonic buildings and was occupied by the Bridge
Mineral water company Known as the ‘B’ Mineral Water Company (Today Pizza
Express).
|
From the
Above photo showing flagon used at the "Castle Hotel" circa 1862. |
|
Kentish Gazette, 20 August 1850.
TONBRIDGE.
The annual hop sweepstakes dinner at the "Castle Inn," came off on
Thursday last. A most excellent spread was prepared on the occasion by
the respected landlady, Mrs. Marshall. Mr. John Mills occupied the
chair, and mirth and good humour were the order of the day. Mr. T. Waite
was the winner of the stakes. The sets for the present year ranged from
£180,000 to £230,000.
|
|
Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser. Saturday 30 October 1858.
TONBRIDGE PETTY SESSIONS.
The license of the "Castle Inn," Tonbridge, was transferred from Mr.
Jesse Simes to Mr. George Snashall.
|
|
South Eastern Gazette, 17 April, 1860.
Petty Sessions, Wednesday. (Before H. T. Moore, Esq,, chairman,
Major Scoones, Arthur Pott, Esq., and C. Powell, Esq., who took his
seat on the bench for the first time).
The constables were sworn in and the surveyor’s accounts, produced
and verified.
The license of the "Castle," Tunbridge, was transferred to John
Vigar.
|
|
From the Kent and Sussex Courier. 5 September 1873. Price 1d.
TONBRIDGE TILL ROBBERY.
Thomas Nugent, a peddler selling needles, was charged with stealing a
shilling from a till, the property of John Vigar, at the "Castle Inn,"
on the 29th ult. Prosecutor said he was in his kitchen, and his niece
went to the bar when the defendant came in. He had given change for half
a sovereign about three minutes previously, and he knew what money was
in the till. The prisoner came in, and gave to witness's niece a bundle
of needles which he requested she would take to her aunt. In a second or
so after the prisoner came in, he heard the till being opened and the
silver rattled about. He immediately rushed out and saw the till opened,
and that a shilling had been taken out. He then accused the prisoner of
having stolen a shilling, and opening his hands, found a shilling in one
and three pence-halfpenny in the other. He then sent for a
police-constable. P. C. Irwen said he took the prisoner in custody. The
prisoner, who elected to be tried by the Bench, made a long rambling
defence, protesting his innocence, and he was sentenced to ten days'
imprisonment with hard labour. |
|
The Sussex Express, Surry Standard, Weald of Kent Mail. Hants and County
Advertiser. 15 June 1889.
MR CHARLES PAYNE OF THE CASTLE HOTEL.
I passed some hours on Monday evening (says "Merlin" in Land and Water)
in a company which included Charles Payne, the veteran umpire, and this
worthy old teller of romances was in grand form. Among other trifling
achievements which he claimed to have accomplished was running and
winning a quarter-mile hurdle race on the grass curse at St. Lawrence
Cricket Ground, Canterbury, over ten flights, starting from scratch, and
having to run outside his opponents, and yet finishing first in 60
seconds. Considering that it takes a pretty good man to get inside 52
seconds, on the flat, with a well-made cinder path under his feet, instead
of turf. I thought this uncommonly tall, but it was nothing to what
followed. Payne calmly assured the hearers that once on a turnpike road,
close to Tunbridge Wells, from a milestone to milestone, during the
break up of a frost, when the road was partly frozen and partly slush,
he ran a mile in 4 minutes 4 seconds. He was good enough to explain
afterwards, when we were a little too open in our incredibility, that
the best part of this mile was downhill, and that it was afterwards
discovered that the course was 50 yards short, though I was not clear
how they altered the milestone. I think this was a sort of after-thought
when we could not be got to swallow the story in its original shape.
However, his defective memory as to times being forgiven him. Payne
certainly showed himself an amusing fellow, and the worst that I wish
him is that he may think well to put on another 20 seconds, or so to
that mile on the ice.
|
|
Kent & Sussex Courier, Friday 20 October 1961.
Now it's farewell to the hotel by the river...
Since 1759 a public house has stood here.
THE CASTLE HOTEL, in Tonbridge High Street, is to close next year. It
will be demolished and the site redeveloped. A spokesman for Courage and
Barclay, owners of the hotel, said he could not say what form the
development would take.
News of the closure of the "Castle" comes a few months after the
announcement that the "Dorset Arms," another Courage and Barclay house,
is to be redeveloped as shop and business premises.
Two years ago Courage and Barclay successfully applied to Tonbridge
Urban Council for outline permission to develop the site of the two
public houses as shops and offices. In the case of the "Castle,"
permission was given subject to the ground floor development taking the
form of a cafe.
The present licensee of the "Castle," Mr. Roland Shaw-Kew, who, with his
wife, Betty, took over the hotel in April, 1960, has been given 12
months notice.
A brewery spokesman said that Mr. Shaw-Kew, according to his company's
policy, would be offered another house as it became available. Mr.
Shaw-key said he would prefer to stay in the district and wound be happy
if the brewers could find suitable premises locally.
Beer House.
The present "Castle Hotel" was built after the reconstruction of the
Great Bridge in 1888. The first public house built on the site in 1759.
Known as the "Bells," it was erected by the Medway Navigation Company as
a beer house for its employees working on the river. They were paid 12
shillings a week and allowed a free jug of beer every day.
In 1808 the name was changed to the "Castle." In 1850 Benjamin Herring,
son of a famous horse painter, married then licensee, Mrs. Marshall, a
widow, in a first floor room overlooking the river. He subsequently
became the landlord himself and painted the sign for the "Bull," which
was recently presented to the urban council when that pub, too, was
scheduled for demolition. |
Closed as a public house, as yet date unknown, but was converted into one
of the "Graze" chain of restaurants.
LICENSEE LIST
MERCER Robert 1828-40+
 
MARSHALL Amy 1850-51+ (widow age 31 in 1851 )
HERRING Benjamin 1850+ (married Amy Marshall in 1850)
SIMES Jesse to Oct/1858
SNASHALL George Oct/1858+
(BARTON Thomas 1858+)?
VIGAR John Apr/1860-74+ (also pleasure boat proprietor)
SMITH John 1881-82+ (age 56 in 1881)
PAYNE Charles 1889-91+
CORNER Messrs to Aug/1901
MOSS James Aug/1901-03+
SPOONER John Gilbert 1913+
DAWSON Edward Nathaniel 1938+
SHAW-KEW Rowland to 1961
https://pubwiki.co.uk/Castle.shtml
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/castle.html
From the Pigot's Directory 1828-29
From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34
Census
Kent
and Sussex Courier
Maidstone
and Kentish Journal
|
